Electronic Arts said on Wednesday that it is cutting about 5% of its workforce as belt-tightening continues in the video game and tech industries.
The California company behind hits, including the soccer game “FC24,” is also “sunsetting” some titles and stopping the development of others it thinks will not be successful, chief executive Andrew Wilson said in a message to employees posted online.
“We are streamlining our company operations to deliver deeper, more connected experiences for fans everywhere that build community, shape culture, and grow fandom,” Wilson said.
“In this time of change, we expect these decisions to impact approximately 5% of our workforce.”
The company’s annual report last year indicated it had 13,400 employees, meaning about 670 positions are being eliminated.
The announcement came a day after Sony said it was cutting 8% of its global workforce, as video game makers find they’re not immune to the wave of layoffs seen recently in the tech industry.
Calling it “sad news,” PlayStation chief Jim Ryan said that the Sony reductions would affect 900 people across the globe, including video game studios.
A separate statement said that U.S. studios Insomniac Games and Naughty Dog, part of PlayStation’s stable, were hit by the job cuts.
In January, Microsoft said it was laying off 1,900 people, or 8% of staff, from its gaming division following its acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Last year, the tech industry lost 260,000 jobs due to layoffs – fyi, a California-based website that tracks the sector.
So far this year, layoffs are at 45,356, the site showed, from 176 companies.
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